Apparatus for extinguishing fires



0. R. ERWIN AND C. B. FLORY.

APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23,19!!- Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ORLANDO R. EBWIN AND CURTIS B. FLORY, OF VI'AUWA'I'OSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS T0 FOAMITE FIBEFOAM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CQRPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1'7, 1920.

Application filed February 23, 1917. Serial No. 150,301.

tions are mixed to form foam which isforcibl discharged by its own expansion,

1 upon t e fire, when required.

The present greatly increased use of gasolene, oils, greases, etc., for automobiles, gasolene engines, motor boats, etc., and the consequent greatly increased fire hazard resulting therefrom has created a demand for reliable fire fighting apparatus of greater capacity than heretofore and which employs special fire' extinguishing liquids or solutlons.

The principal object of this invention is to provide simple, reliable and transportable apparatus of the foam generating type which will not only be self contained, an manually controllable, but which will have reater fire extinguishing capacity than any devices heretofore known of like character for combating fires in highly inflammable liquids, etc.

Another object is to provide apparatus which will not only be entirely slop-proof during rapid transportation over rough roads, etc., to the fire, whereby any premature mixing of the solutions emplo 'ed will be avoided and a portion of such c emicals lost, but which will be at all times manuall controllable as to the pressures generate and as to the velocity and quantity of foam discharged at the nozzle.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

The view which is partly in side elevation and partly in section, shows one form of our invention and illustrates a tank divided into two solution-containing compartments, said tank being mounted on wheels for transportation purposes.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawing, a tank is mounted upon wheels E so that it may be transported from place to place. This tank is divided into two compartments C and D, intended to contain the normally separated solutions A and B, respectively, a handle G, or the equivalent thereof, being rovided to draw the extinguisher from p ace to place.

One of the solutions comprises water, sodium bicarbonate and a foam forming substancesuch as saponin, and the other solution may be composed of water and aluminum sulfate, forming what is known as an acid solution. The letter H indicates a valved mixing chamber, in the form 'of a relatively small cylindrical tank 8, into .which the two solutions are simultaneously dischar ed, by gravity, through manually control ed discharge valves I and I operatively connecting the chamber H withhe compartments C and D respectivel T is chamber H forms a mixing cham r, and when the solutions from the compartments C and D enter this chamber H through the valved connections I and I, foam and as are generated in the mixin chamber. he mixing chamber H is provided with a ort 11 to which is connected the lower on of a vertical pipe 12. The n per end of this pipe 12 is provided with a cup 13 connected at one side with an elbow 14 in turn connected with a duct 16 leading to the compartment C and at its opposite side the T13 is connected with an elbow 15, in turn connected to the duct 17 leading to the compartment D. This arrangement of pipe connections between the tank H and the compartments G and serves to equalize the pressures in the mixin chamber and the compartments thereby insuring acontinuous discharge of the two solutions A and B into the mixing chamber when the valves I and I' are open. Removable covers M and M are provided on the top portions of the com artments C and D, respectively, to faci itate the filling, washing and inspection of such compartments.

A valve connection J is connected to the bottom of the compartment C and a hose pipe K leads from the valve connection J to the second mixing chamber H. A similar valve connection J" is connected with the bottom of the chamber D and from this connection J the hose pipe K" also leads to the chamber H. Connected with the chamber H is a discharge hose K terminating in a suitable nozzle L. Presuming the compartments to contain the solutions A and B, the operation of the device in the case of fire, for example, is as follows:

The valves I and I are first opened, thus permitting a portion of the two solutions A and B to flow by gravity into the foam chamber H wherein they are mingled and foam and gas generated. The .foam generated in this chamber H is forced by the pressure up through the pipe 12, the T 13, elbows 14 and 15 and ducts 16 and 17 into the chambers C and D, producing such pressure uponthesolutions A and B still remaining in these compartments, that, when the valve connections J and J" are opened the solutions will be forced out through these valves and through the hose lines K and K" into the second mixin chamber H where they are thoroughly mixed, producing the fire extinguishin foam, which is forcibly ejected through t e discharge hose K and the nozzle L so that the operator holding the nozzle may play the stream of foam over or upon the burnin surface for the pa ose of extinguishing t e fire. It wi I be obvious that the essence of this invention is to produce simple fire extinguishing apparatus, in which not only the use of compressed air, or other exterior means, such as pumps, for forcing together the two, separated solutions is dispensed with, but in which the two solutions are commin led and the resultant foam is forcibly disc arged by the pressure of the gas nerated which forms the foam, also that y the aidof throttle valves, controlling the solutions and foam, a uniform discharge at the nozzle may be obtained, or otherwise controlled as required, entirely at the will of the operator, and further, that when in rapid transportation from place to place, the a paratus may be rendered slop-proof (by, clbsing the solution controlling va ves), whereby any premature commingling of the solutions is avoided, which results in corresponding loss of efliciency when the apparatus is required at the fire.

What we claim is:

1. In a fire extinguishin apparatus of the class described, the com ination with a pail of compartments adapted to normally contain two separated foam producing solutions, a chamber for receiving and mixing said solutions located in receiving connection with both compartments, means for simultaneously dischar ing said solutions into said mixing cham er Where they are mixed, connections between said mixing chamber and the compartments for conducting the resultant foam from the mixing chamber to said compartments above the solution levels in the compartments, a second mixing chamber, means connecting each of the compartments with the second mixing chamber, and a discharge pipe connected with the said second mixing chamber.

2. In a fire extin uishin apparatus of the class described, t e com ination with a pair of compartments adapted to normally contain two separated foam producing solutions, a mixing chamber for receiving and mixing said solutions located in receiving connection with both of said tanks, means for simultaneously discharging said solutions together into said mixing chamber, ducts connecting said mixing chamber with the space above the solutions in said compartments for conducting the resultant foam from said chamber to said compartments and above the solution levels of the latter, a second mixing chamber, a duct connecting each of said compartments with the second mixing chamber, a discharge outlet from the second mixing chamber, and valve connections for manually controlling the admission and dischar e of the foam to and from the mixing cham ers.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ORLANDO R. ERWIN. CURTIS B. FLORY.

\Vitnesses:

O. C. WEBER, A. J. MGKERIHAN. 

